1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to displaying information on wireless mobile devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a teletext based system and method for requesting and accessing information on portable wireless devices.
2. Relevant Background
A desired feature for mobile wireless devices, such as cellular phones, beepers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), is the ability to remotely access information using the mobile station""s display and keypad. For example, wireless subscribers may want to check stock prices, receive travel information, or keep track of current news using their cellular phones. Although such information can currently be accessed to a degree on wireless devices using conventional techniques, several short comings in the prior art make these techniques less than optimal solutions for wireless devices.
One known system for accessing information through a wireless device, also referred to as a xe2x80x9cmobile stationxe2x80x9d or simply a xe2x80x9cmobilexe2x80x9d, is by means of a short message service (SMS). In a short message service, a short message entity (SME) sends a short message to a service center (SC). The service center then forwards the message to the mobile station, where it is displayed. In a specific configuration, the short message entity can be a news or information service that periodically delivers updated data to the mobile stations. By using a short message service in this manner, the mobile station can display brief descriptions of current news or other information.
One drawback of short message services is the relatively limited amount of information deliverable by each broadcast message. Generally, the maximum length of a short message is only 160 characters, with the character set predefined. In addition, short message services are not trusted systems, meaning there is no assurance that the received message is coming from a known reliable source.
Another drawback of short message services is the general inability of users to selectively choose topical information of interest to them and filter away information they consider unimportant. In addition, a short message service is typically not responsive to user feedback and must supply information to users on a prearranged schedule rather than a demand based schedule. Therefore, a short message service is typically only useful in providing periodic updates about specific and narrowly focused information.
Another known system for accessing information through a mobile station is by means of an Internet connection and Internet browser. By leveraging the vast amounts of information contained on the Internet, wireless service subscribers can access a wide variety of subjects through their mobile stations. One of the drawbacks of Internet service over wireless devices, however, is the difficulty in finding the information desired. Moreover, once information is found, the is no guarantee it is up-to-date and trustworthy.
Typically, browsing the Internet over a mobile station is also a very slow process. Connections to the Internet over wireless devices are often slow due to the lower bandwidth of wireless networks and added switching requirements. Downloading web pages over wireless devices, especially pages with large amounts of graphics, may therefore be too time consuming for many users.
Another drawback of accessing information using an Internet browser over a wireless device is the limited ability of compact mobile devices to interface with people. Modern day wireless devices are generally hand held and contain a small display and keypad. For example, a typical cell phone may have a tiny four by ten character liquid crystal display with sixteen gray levels and only a numeric keypad with up/down volume keys. Such compact mobile stations are capable of displaying only small amounts of text and once and only the most basic of graphical shapes. Internet web pages, however, are typically designed for standard computer monitors and contain text and graphics too detailed to be decipherable on many mobile station displays.
In addition, the small keypads of mobile stations make data entry more difficult and cumbersome than standard computer keyboards. Since finding information over the Internet typically requires relatively long data entry, such as when entering a web site""s uniform resource locator (URL) or typing a descriptive search, using the tiny keypad of a mobile phone can become tedious and frustrating task, often requiring multiple key presses to enter each text character.
What is therefore needed is a better system for requesting and accessing information on portable wireless devices. Such a system should supply mobile stations with trusted and up-to-date information without requiring users to perform time consuming searches for the right data. What is also needed is a way to quickly access the information using the smaller displays and keypads of compact mobile devices.
Briefly stated, the present invention involves a communication system operable to communicate teletext information encoded in the vertical blanking interval of a television signal forming a data signal to a mobile station operable within a cellular network. The communication system includes a server and a cellular network infrastructure. The server includes at least one teletext decoder coupled to the data signal and operable to decode the teletext information. The server further includes a controller coupled to the teletext decoder, and a memory unit coupled to the controller and adapted to store the teletext information. A cellular network interface in the server is coupled to the controller and is adapted to receive and transmit network communications. The network infrastructure is coupled to the mobile station and is adapted to transmit the teletext information to the mobile station and receive information requests from the mobile station.
Another aspect of the invention is a method for communicating teletext information to a mobile station. A providing operation provides a data signal to a server, the data signal including a teletext message. A decoding operation decodes the teletext message provided during the providing operation at the server. A storing operation stores the teletext message decoded during the decoding operation in a server memory unit. A receiving operation receives a message request by the server from the mobile station. An accessing operation accesses the teletext message stored in the server memory during the storing operation according to the message request received during the receiving operation. A transmitting operation transmits the teletext message accessed during the accessing operation to the mobile station. A displaying operation displays the teletext message transmitted during the transmitting operation at the mobile station.
A further aspect of the invention is a server configured to communicate teletext information encoded in at least one data signal to a mobile station over a communication system. The server includes a teletext decoder coupled to the data signal, where the teletext decoder is configured to decode the teletext information in the at least one data signal. A controller is coupled to the teletext decoder, wherein the controller receives the teletext information from the teletext decoder. A memory unit is coupled to the controller such that the memory unit stores the teletext information. A network interface unit is also coupled to the controller and to the mobile station. The network interface unit receives requests from the mobile station and transmits the teletext information to the mobile station.
A further aspect of the invention is a mobile station configured to receive teletext information from a server over a communication system. The mobile station includes a teletext interface unit configured to receive the teletext information from the server, a controller coupled to the teletext interface, and a display unit coupled the controller. The controller is configured to format the teletext information and the display unit is configured to display the teletext information.